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http://www.archive.org/details/valueofsweetclov01sinn 



The Value of 

Sweet Clover 



By J. F. SINN 

0/ 
A. A. BERRY SEED CO. 




PRICE, $1.00 







Published by 




A. 


A. 


Berry 

CLARINDA, 


See 

IOWA 


d Co. 



ROOERS «t HAkt. CO.. PRINTERS, CHICAQO 



"75 3 ^o^ 



Revised Edition 
Copyrighted 1916 

J. F. SINN 



APR -6 1316 

a,A4284t5 



Contents 



Chapter . Page 

Introduction 5 

1. History of the Plant 7 

2. Different Species 12 

3. Where It Will Grow 15 

4. Time of Seeding 19 

5. Preparation and Amount to Sow. 22 

6. Treatment of Hard Seed 27 

7. Inoculation and Fertilization 30 

8. Value as a Hay Crop 34 

9. Value as a Pasture 40 

10. Scientific Feed Value 44 

11. Value as a Fertilizer 48 

12. Value as a Seed Crop 53 

13. Where to Obtain Seed 57 

14. Eradication 59 

15. Conclusion 61 



Introdttction 



The idea in preparing this little book is to set 
forth in clear and simple language the main features 
connected with the growing of Sweet Clover; to ex- 
ploit the value of the plant, so that its true value may- 
be known, and to have Sweet Clover possess the place 
which was intended for it when created by the 
Almighty. 

It is intended to convey useful information and 
suggestions that will be beneficial to the inexperienced 
grower and to those who are not acquainted with its 
merits and do not know of its value. There has been 
but little written of an authoritative nature concerning 
Sweet Clover. The author believes there is a place 
for this booklet in the library of every practical farmer 
who is interested in progress and is desirous of learn- 
ing more about forage plants. From now on it is to 
the forage plant we must look to replace what has 
been robbed from the soil by constant farming and 
growing of other crops. 

There is certainly a large field for Sweet Clover 
to fill, for every tiller of the soil appreciates the need 
of a restorative, as the soil is fast becoming depleted 
of its nitrogen and humus and requires rebuilding. 

I realize there is a wide variation and difference 
in opinion as to the merits of Sweet Clover and all 
will not agree with the writer as to its value, although 
authentic tests have proven that it is on par with 
Alfalfa as a feed, and can be grown successfully over 



a much larger area, as Alfalfa is rather a particular 
chooser of the kind of soil on which it will grow. In 
some instances Sweet Clover is being condemned, 
possibly because of not understanding the plant, while 
others are too enthusiastic and overestimate its worth, 
but the writer will feel that his efiforts have accom- 
plished the purpose intended if this book is the means 
of influencing individuals to test it out for themselves 
and to prove its value by experiments and observa- 
tions. 



Chapter I 
HISTORY OF PLANT 

Generally when speaking of Sweet Clover (Meli- 
lotus Alba), we have in mind the White Blossom 
variety, although there are four distinct species, which 
will be taken up later and each discussed. However, 
the White Blossom is considered for most purposes 
the most valuable, and when no qualifying term is 
used the white species is the one usually meant. The 
writer would ask that you bear this explanation in 
mind, as this understanding of the term is used in the 
following pages of this treatise. 

This plant is known by a number of different 
names. The most common are Bokhara or Melilotus, 
which means honey lotus or honey plant. It is also 
called Bee Clover, Honey Lotus, Tree Clover and 
Giant Alfalfa. 

While Sweet Clover is one of the oldest of the 
leguminous plants and from a careful study of the 
plant might be considered the most valuable, it is 
strange that not until recent years was its true worth 
discovered. The plant is a native of central Asia and 
has grown on the desert lands and mountain sides for 
over 2,000 years, growing luxuriantly, not being 
affected by the severe winters, nor by the extreme 
heat and drouth in summer. From there it spread to 
Europe, where for a number of years it has been cul- 
tivated to some extent for hay, pasture and as a fer- 
tilizer. It was also used somewhat in ancient times 



for medicines, and in some instances this practice still 
exists to the present time. 

The White Blossom Sweet Clover was first intro- 
duced in the United States in the early part of the 
eighteenth century by the colonists from Europe, but 
then little did they think that this honey plant, as it 
was called, would be the sensation of the twentieth 
century, so far as adding wealth to the agricultural 
industry is concerned. 

Sweet Clover had always been considered a great 
honey plant and was utilized more in this respect than 
any other, although it was known to be of some value 
as a forage crop and fertilizer. It is now distributed 
more or less over the entire civilized world, and is 
sure to become the most popular plant of modern 
times. Its great value as a forage crop and fertilizer 
is being preached by all agricultural writers, and it has 
been greatly exploited by the best farm papers. Every 
up-to-date farmer has heard of, read or knows from 
observation something about Sweet Clover. 

To those who are not acquainted with Sweet 
Clover it might seem that the value of the plant may 
be overestimated and that it is a fad or hobby which 
will pass by. It is not astounding that the true value 
of Sweet Clover was not discovered until the twen- 
tieth century, for this is the age when progress and 
inventions are being made in all lines. It would be a 
sad lot, indeed, for the tiller of the soil if no progress 
were made to aid him in the way of securing new 
crops or discovering further uses and values of differ- 
ent plants. 

What has always seemed very strange to the 
writer is that the King road drag was not discovered 
sooner, for it certainly is a simple device and un- 
doubtedly excells all machinery when it comes to mak- 
ing a fine dirt highway. As in all lines there is much 
wealth and latent power awaiting development; so it 

8 



is true in the agricultural pursuit that there is un- 
doubtedly great wealth hidden and lying dormant in 
the soil. In all probability we shall from time to 
time learn some of the new things in plant life that 
will not only be a big surprise to us, but will add 
greatly to our already large number of paying crops. 
When one is seeking a fortune it is always well to 
look near at home, for often the hidden treasure is 
right at hand and only requires some one to bring it 
to light. 

If you would speak of Sweet Clover as a weed 
you would cause no sensation, for it has been con- 
sidered as such, and you will find it growing luxuri- 
antly along the highways, railroad right-of-ways and 
many times in deep cuts where there is nothing but 
the yellow clay, in which it makes an unusual growth. 
It also makes a great growth along the irrigating 
ditches, and in this way has been spread rapidly ; also 
by bee-keepers who have sowed it in various waste 
places. 

There is no reason why Sweet Clover should ever 
have been classed as a weed, except that it is a pro- 
lific grower and is easily started, defies drouth and 
grows on nearly al kinds of soil. On account of its 
adaptability and persistency in growing it was classed 
as a weed by those who did not know of its com- 
mercial value; but this is the only characteristic of a 
weed that the plant possesses. And the very fact that 
it is so unusually hardy makes it all the more valuable 
as a forage plant, for no one need fail in growing it. 
The plant is a biennial and is not hard to eradicate 
and never becomes a pest, as it can be easily killed 
out by cultivation. 

The utilization of Sweet Clover should be accom- 
panied by a thorough understanding of its various 
characteristics, which are essential to know, in order 
to insure success with the crop and also prevent any 



ill-effects which might result from growing it in 
ignorance. 

Its value as a honey plant is quite generally under- 
stood, but this is the least important. Its great value 
as a fertilizer has not been fully understood, and it is 
going to bring an abundance of wealth to this country 
by increasing the fertility of run-down soils and re- 
claiming old, worn-out farms. It has been utilized for 
hay and pasture in a very limited way, for it has been 
treated as a weed, and possibly by mental telepathy 
the thought passed from the farmers' minds to the 
stock, as they also seem to have looked upon it as 
being unfit for food and refused to eat it when they 
have had access to other pasture. The reason stock 
refuse to eat it at first is due to a bitter taste and 
odor, but when once induced to eat it they apparently 
relish it and become very fond of it and prefer it to 
other forage. It has great feeding value, ranking 
right alongside of Alfalfa. In some respects it excels 
Alfalfa, its only rival, as a forage crop. 

There is certainly a large field for Sweet Clover 
to fill, and it cannot help but be of great value to every 
farm and farmer, for there is not only a great need 
of a fertihzer in the south and east on the old worn- 
out farms, but there is also a great need throughout 
the entire corn belt. The plant does not only add 
wealth in the corn belt by supplying nitrogen and 
humus to the soil, but its greatest addition is its feed 
value. We have our great corn plant, rich in carbon 
hydrates, fat-producing element, but short on protein- 
bone, muscle and milk producing food. By combin- 
ing Sweet Clover with corn we have one of the great- 
est feeding combinations known, and every stock 
raiser or dairyman will hail with delight the one thing 
for which he has been constantly searching. Every 
feeder and dairyman has been short in protein, and it 
has been expensive to obtain it by purchasing such 
feeds as bran, shorts, oil meal, clover and alfalfa hay. 

10 



The value of Sweet Clover as a protein feed will be 
better appreciated when you realize that a ton of it 
is equal to a ton of bran in food value, and it is 
claimed by some that in this respect it even excels 
Alfalfa. 

It has several decided advantages over Alfalfa, 
which might be briefly mentioned at this time. First, 
and one of great importance, is that it is easily started, 
and this one fact recommends it to many farmers who 
have been unsuccessful in growing Alfalfa. It is also 
true that it is adapted to a wider range of soil and 
will thrive under conditions that Alfalf awould not. 
And, again, it withstands great drouth and does not 
winter kill. It will also produce more forage and is 
considered by the best authorities a better fertilizer. 
This does not mean that Alfalfa is not all that is 
claimed for it, but it now has a rival which bids fair 
to excel it in many ways, and it is to the interest of 
everyone to study both plants and know which one is 
best adapted to his specific requirements and decide 
which he ought to grow. 



11 



Chapter II 
DIFFERENT SPECIES 

There are three distinct varieties of Sweet Clover 
which are quite common in this country. In fact, four 
varieties are known to us, and in the old world there 
are still other varieties, but of little prominence. It 
will be well to take each variety up separately, in the 
order of their value, and give a short description, so 
that our readers may be familiar with their respective 
merits. 

First. White Blossom Sweet Clover (Melilotus 
Alba), is the most common and is the variety com- 
monly referred to when merely speaking of Sweet 
Clover. Nearly everyone has seen this variety grow- 
ing, for it is the one commonly seen along the high- 
ways, railroad right-of-ways and various out-of-the- 
way places, and when once started it grows very 
luxuriantly, if unmolested. It is a biennial (two-year 
plant), growing from a tap root and sends up an erect 
branching plant, with ascending stem^ not heavily 
covered with leaves. The first season, when sowed in 
the spring, it makes a growth twenty to thirty inches 
in height and reserves a large supply of food material 
in the root for a rapid and vigorous growth the second 
year. 

Plants when young greatly resemble Alfalfa, but 
need never be confused with it, for it can be readily 
distinguished by the bitter taste and odor of its 

12 



foliage. The bitter taste it possesses is due to cumarin, 
but this is a decided advantage, as it prevents bloating 
when used for pasture. 

When in bloom it is a very attractive plant, grow- 
ing from five to ten feet high, and is generally covered 
with bees. The flowers are white, blooming in long, 
loose racemes, and a single seed is borne in a rectangu- 
lar pod. After the seed is produced the plant dies. 

In harmony with other legumes, it stores up nitro- 
gen in the nodules of its roots, and this is the impor- 
tant element in adding fertility to the soil on which it 
is grown. 

The seed very closely resembles Alfalfa seed, and 
cannot be easily distinguished, except by the odor 
which is common to Sweet Clover. Alfalfa is being 
used as an adulterant for Sweet Clover in some in- 
stances. 

Second. Large Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover 
(Melilotus Officinalis), is very similar to the White 
Blossom, just described, but is not so common. Like 
the White Blossom Sweet Clover, it is a biennial, but 
does not grow as high, attaining from three to five 
feet in height. It is more spreading in habit and grows 
closer to the ground, making it often difficult to mow. 
This is an objectionable feature, for it leaves branches 
which produce seed, making it more difficult to eradi- 
cate unless cultivated. It blooms about ten days earlier 
than the White Blossom and grows a finer stem, and 
is preferred in some localities for hay on account of 
not growing so rank. The seed is very similar to the 
White Blossom, and it is difficult to distinguish them. 

Third. Small Yellow Blossom Sweet Qover 
(Melilotus Indica). This species is a low-growing 
erect plant, blossoming very early in the season. This 
plant is supposed to have originally come from India. 
It is an annual, while the two preceding species are 

IS 



biennials, and are far more important. This plant is 
only grown in a limited way in the United States, 
flourishing mostly in southern California, where it is 
considered of value, but is not recommended for sec- 
tions where the other varieties can be grown advan- 
tageously. 

It is a legume, the same as the other varieties, 
but is not recommended, for it contains more cuma- 
rin, making it very bitter and less palatable for stock 
of all kinds. 

However, it is very essential that you become 
familiar with this variety, and on this account one 
should know the difference. Several seed dealers have 
been imposed upon during the past few years, for 
the annual has been substitutd for the large yellow 
blossom, which is a biennial, and is not to be compared 
with the annual in any way. The seed of the small 
annual Yellow Blossom species has a rough surface, 
while the large biennial are smooth. The Seed Lab- 
oratory of the Department of Agriculture, Washing- 
ton, D. C, is prepared to identify samples. Anyone 
who wishes the Large Yellow Blossom variety should 
be particular about purchasing their seed from a re- 
liable party, who knows what is being offered. 

Fourth. Blue Blossom Sweet Clover, There is 
a variety that has a blue blossom, but it is not common 
in the United States and is not generally considered. 
It is supposed to be a native of Africa and is very 
similar to the Large Yellow and White Blossom varie- 
ties, being a biennial and in general appearance 
resembles them, except the color or blossom. It grows 
to a height of three to five feet, and is an erect branch- 
ing plant, easily eradicated by cultivation. 



14 



Chapter III 
WHERE IT WILL GROW 

It has been generally stated that Sweet Clover is 
being grown in all civilized countries, which is true, 
and it is also being grown in all parts of the United 
States. It possesses a wider adaptability as to soil 
and climate than any of the other leguminous plants, 
growing successfully in the sub-tropical climates and 
also enduring the wide range of temperature to which 
it is subjected throughout the Northern States and 
Canada. Sweet Clover thrives in the most humid 
sections, and will withstand a great amount of mois- 
ture and very unfavorable conditions, such as over- 
flow, and in this respect is about equal to Alsike; it 
also thrives in the semi-arid regions, where the rainfall 
is very limited and not over half of what is required 
to produce a Clover crop. On the "acid" soils which 
are found in the Eastern States it grows very satis- 
factorily, and when planted on such soil it has a 
tendency to counteract the acidity and put the soil 
into shape for growing other plants which would not 
thrive before. We also find it growing on the alkali 
soil of the Western States, where alkali would pre- 
vent raising other farm crops. It grows on very thin, 
sandy soil, and on the gravelly hills which are too 
poor to produce any other crop advantageously, and 
you also find it growing in the limestone quarries. It 
thrives exceedingly well on the limestone hills in the 
East, which will not produce other crops. You will 

15 



find it making a luxuriant growth on the clay banks 
of deep cuts and has also been noticed growing on blue 
clay taken from the bottom of a well. In fact, it will 
grow on all kinds of soil, with the exception of low, 
wet ground which is water logged, but even in this 
respect it grows on very wet land, and has a tendency 
to relieve the boggy condition. It makes a splendid 
growth on the rich black loam, and also on the black 
gumbo commonly found on bottom land. The only 
other exception is soil which has been completely de- 
pleted of lime. Sweet Clover requires lime in the soil, 
and this mineral has been well provided by nature 
and nearly all soil contains sufficient lime to insure 
growing it successfully. It is a great drouth resisting 
plant, and this undoubtedly is due to the fact that it 
sends out a long tap root, making a great root growth 
the first season, and stands the long, hot, dry summers 
of the Southern States better than Japan Qover or 
any of the other forage crops. It also withstands the 
hot, dry summers of the western plains, remining green 
and making a splendid growth, despite the hot, dry 
weather which is so disastrous to all kinds of plant 
life. 

Sweet Clover is a wonderful plant, growing in 
so many different climates and conditions, and we 
wish to give what the Farmers' Bulletin, No. 485, of 
the Department of Agriculture, has to say on this 
point: "It thrives in the most humid parts of the 
country, as well as in the semi-arid sections, where 
the rainfall is but three-fifths of that required for the 
normal growth of such crops as Timothy and Red 
Clover. It produces satisfactory crops on the "acid" 
soils of the Eastern States and also on the alkali soils 
of the West, where sufficient alkali is present to pre- 
vent the growth of most farm crops. It will grow on 
soils too sandy to support ordinary field crops, and 
appears to be even better adapted to raw clay and 
loose cuts and fills, where scarcely any other vegeta- 
tion is able to establish a foothold. It also makes an 

16 



excellent growth in gravel pits and stone quarries, but 
for some reason does not seem to do well on unsettled, 
cultivated soil. It makes its best growth where the 
soil is compact and not crowded with other vegetation. 
In such states as Iowa it seems to require a rich soil 
for satisfactory growth, but on the limestone hills of 
the Eastern and Southern States it makes a good 
growth on soils too poor to produce a paying crop of 
com." 

From all reports received from the best authority 
it would seem that Sweet Clover has a wider range 
of adaptability not only in latitude and soil, growing 
in the extreme North, to the extreme South, but also 
possesses great endurance and thrives jvithout rainfall 
and not only withstands moisture ^nd defies drouth, 
but has the same endurance when it comes to heat or 
cold. The fact that Sweet Clover is adapted to such 
a wide range of soil and conditions recommends it as 
one of the most important of the leguminous forage 
crops and makes it a valuable plant on account of not 
being able to grow other crops where it thrives. 

Sweet Clover is being grown quite extensively as 
a field crop in Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, 
and is proving equal to its reputation as laid down by 
scientific agricultural writers, and is bringing an 
abundance of wealth in the way of renewing the 
depleted fields which have been farmed to death. You 
will also find Sweet Clover growing in Iowa, 
Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Wisconsin, 
Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Dakotas, New York, and, 
in fact, nearly every state in the Union is growing 
Sweet Clover to some extent. The demand is rapidly 
increasing and every up-to-date, wide-awake farmer 
is interested in the plant and is making investigation 
as to its merits, and in many cases is testing it out in 
a small way. It is really amazing to note what interest 
has been manifested, and consequently there has been 
an unusual demand for seed. Last year the demand 

17 



exceeded the supply and many were unable to obtain 
seed, while others who were so anxious to give it a 
trial secured Yellow Blossom instead of the White, 
for it seemed more plentiful, but much the Yellow 
Blossom Sweet Clover offered was the annual, and 
in such cases Sweet Clover undoubtedly got a setback, 
for the annual is not to be compared with the White, 
and it is essential that the correct species be used if 
you desire success. 



18 



Chapter IV 
TIME OF SEEDING 

This is a question which might have several 
answers and all be correct, for in different parts of 
the country a different time might be best suited. So 
it is with any given rule. There are exceptions, but 
going back to nature we find the seed is left on the 
ground in the fall, and it germinates for the most 
part in the spring, there being an occasional plant 
started in the fall. Spring seeding, generally speak- 
ing, has given excellent results and is considered the 
correct time for sowing. 

The best time in the spring for sowing depends 
somewhat upon how the crop is to be handled and 
whether it is to be sowed with or without a nurse 
crop. When using a nurse crop it should be sowed 
early in the spring at the time that Oats and Barley 
are sown, and the earliest varieties of small grain 
makes the best nurse crop. One of the greatest mis- 
takes in seeding grass seed of all kinds with a nurse 
crop is using too much seed and trying to raise a full 
crop of grain. The grain should be considered as a 
secondary crop and the grass seeding, no matter of 
what kind, should be considered first, for it is the 
most important. It is mere folly to smother out your 
seeding of Clover, Alfalfa or Sweet Clover by sowing 
three or four bushels of Oats per acre, endeavoring 
to raise a bumper crop of Oats, as well as securing a 
stand of grass. The talented editor of Wallace's 

19 



Farmer, Uncle Henry Wallace, in making a short talk 
in regard to the methods of seeding, stated that this 
was the greatest cause of not obtaining a stand and 
that in his long experience of seeding, when a proper 
amount of grain seed had been used, he only knew of 
two or possibly three failures, these being due to the 
extreme dry season. 

Now, when using Oats as a nurse crop, it is best 
to select the earliest varieties and sow not over one 
and one-half bushels per acre. One reason for recom- 
mending an extremely early variety of Oats when 
sowing Sweet Clover, is on account of Sweet Clover 
being a very rapid grower and by harvest time it will 
be up ten or twelve inches, and will gather in the 
butts of the bundle, unless the stubble is left quite 
high to avoid it. 

Sweet Clover is also sowed in the spring, without 
a nurse crop, by preparing the soil and sowing in the 
same manner as Alfalfa or Common Clover. There 
is no particular advantage in sowing without a nurse 
crop, for the plant will make about as much growth 
with a nurse crop and except in the South you cannot 
secure more than one crop the first season. The plant 
will continue to grow throughout the entire season 
and can be pastured in the fall, or a hay crop may be 
cut the latter part of September or the first part of 
October. By using a nurse crop you can accomplish 
practically the same results, besides harvesting a fair 
crop of small grain, but always remember not to 
become too greedy and sow too much small grain, for 
the main crop might be lost by doing so. 

Fall seeding is desirable in some section, but for 
the most part the writer does not recommend it, for 
it has some disadvantages, and throughout the corn 
belt spring seeding undoubtedly will prove far more 
satisfactory. When seeding in the fall the seed should 
be sown the latter part of August or the first of Sep- 

20 



tember on ground that has been well prepared and a 
good seed bed obtained. Sweet Clover when seeded 
in the fall does not make enough root development to 
start off properly in the spring and the growth of the 
plant is reduced somewhat. This disadvantage will 
prevent fall seeding being very popular, and, again, 
it is not best to cut a hay crop late in the following 
fall, although it may be pastured lightly, but not close 
to the ground. In the Southern States fall seeding 
is more popular than in the North, but in the corn 
belt and Eastern States spring seeding is preferable. 



21 



Chapter-V 

PREPARATION AND AMOUNT TO 
SOW 

Those who are familiar with growing Alfalfa 
should not have much trouble in starting Sweet Clover 
if they remember that the plants are very similar. The 
main thing is a well prepared seed bed which is firm 
and solid (and there is little danger of getting the 
ground too firm or solid), for the firmer the better 
stand will be secured. All the loose soil required is 
enough to enable you to thoroughly cover the seed. 
Sweet Clover has failed quite frequently when sown 
on a cultivated field, and failure was due in all proba- 
bility to not having a compact seed bed. The fact that 
it requires a solid seed bed is further demonstrated by 
its growing successfully on hillsides where nearly all 
the soil has been washed away and on the roadsides 
where the ground has been tramped and is very solid. 
It is very essential that a solid seed bed be prepared, 
but good results have been obtained by seeding in the 
same manner as Common Clover. It sometimes is 
sowed in Winter Wheat early in the spring without 
any further preparation and a good stand is obtained. 

Sweet Clover does well following a corn crop 
when sowed in the spring, and works in to good ad- 
vantage for rotation. The ground can be properly 
prepared by disking and harrowing, and by either 
seeding broadcast or by drilling fifteen to twenty 
pounds of seed, or ten pounds to twelve pounds of 

2Z 



scarified seed, to the acre, there should be no trouble 
in obtaining a stand. It may also be sowed with a 
nurse crop without any further preparation than what 
you give to seeding of the small grain. If you use a 
drill in sowing your small grain and it has a seed 
attachment you could drill in the Sweet Clover, al- 
though fully as good results may be obtained by sow- 
ing broadcast. Land which has been fall plowed would 
not be so desirable for spring seeding as stock land, 
for the soil would not be solid enough to insure suc- 
cess. 

For the best results Clover sod no doubt would 
prove the most successful. By fall plowing Clover 
sod and disking the same as preparing for a corn crop 
and getting the ground in good condition for early 
seeding there is no reason why a very heavy crop of 
Sweet Clover could not be grown. On such land it 
might be well to sow without a nurse crop if you 
were very desirous of getting all you could out of the 
Sweet Clover crop, for it will make a little faster and 
heavier growth when sowed alone and by fall you 
would get quite a heavy hay crop. 

The preparation of the seed bed for fall seeding 
is more difficult than spring seeding and should be 
handled in about the same way as Alfalfa. It would 
require plowing several months before seeding and 
much surface cultivation, forming a compact seed 
bed with a mulch on top to cover the seed. If you 
wish to seed Sweet Clover in the fall following a small 
grain crop it is difficult to get the grain off in time 
so as to plow and work down a solid seed bed, and in 
such cases better results may be obtained by simply 
disking the stubble and getting enough loose soil to 
properly cover the seed. It is not practical to plow 
the ground early in the season and work it until the 
first of August, in order to sow Sweet Clover ; nor is 
it necessar>% for spring seeding would be more desira- 
ble, and there is very little to be gained by waiting 

23 



until fall, and if it is possible to sow in the spring it 
should be done at that time. 

The amount of seed required for an acre varies 
according to what is desired from the crop ; also upon 
the germination test of the seed. One recognized 
authority in Sweet Clover says : "The amount of seed 
required per acre depends whether sown for hay, 
pasture, green manure, or for restoring worn or waste 
lands. On account of it stooling out so heavily, a 
medium stand the first year will become a thick stand 
the second, when it comes from the roots, and a heavy 
stand for the first year will be entirely too thick the 
second year to obtain a normal growth and develop- 
ment of the plant. For hay a bushel will sow three 
acres; for green manure a bushel will sow tw^o acres, 
if to be plowed under the first year and three acres 
if to be plowed under after the second year's growth." 

In testing Sweet Clover it is ofttimes found that 
there is a large per cent of hard seed which w^ill not 
germinate until the second year, and sometimes not 
until the third season. Southern seed is found to con- 
tain a larger per cent of hard seed than any other, and 
the imported seed the smallest per cent. This may 
be partly due to most foreign seed being one year old 
or due to other conditions. Ten pounds of seed would 
be a great sufficiency for one acre if it would all grow. 
It is necessary to count on part of it not germinating, 
at least the first season, and fifteen to twenty pounds 
of hulled seed is found to be about the correct amount, 
although some writers recommend as much as twenty 
to thirty pounds to the acre. Ground which is adapted 
to growing Sweet Clover, or which is thoroughly in- 
oculated undoubtedly would require less seed if un- 
hulled seed is used is required about five pounds more 
seed per acre. The experience of the writer has been 
that hulled seed gives the best results and it is more 
desirable. 

24 



The complaint of seed not germinating properly 
is a point which is fully covered by the Farmers' Bulle- 
tin and a remedy given which is of great interest and 
is herewith given in full: "A lesser weight of seed 
would be sufficient were it not for the fact that often 
one-half of the seed has such hard seed coats that it 
does not germinate the first season and therefore is 
practically useless. This retarded germination of the 
hard seed can be overcome by soaking the seed in 
commercial concentrated sulphuric acid for half an 
hour. It should then be quickly washed, using running 
water, if possible, as sulphuric acid becomes very hot 
when mixed with a small proportion of water. A 
great deal of water is therefore necessary in order to 
lessen the danger of burning. The seed should then 
be dried off quickly by spreading it out on a floor or 
canvas and stirring at intervals." 

The acid corrodes or eats away the hard, imper- 
meable seed coat sufficiently to enable the seed to 
absorb enough moisture to germinate. This method 
has been investigated by Prof. H. L. Bolley of the 
North Dakota Agricultural Experimental Station. 
Tests made in the Department of Agriculture gave an 
increase in germination of 40 to 45 per cent. Great 
care must be exercised when working with sulphuric 
acid, as it burns the flesh and any wooden objects 
badly, and is especially dangerous to have around in 
the presence of children. The vessels used for treat- 
ing the seed should be of earthen or enameled ware 
to prevent corrosion by the acid. After the seed is 
treated it should be preferably sown promptly, as it 
has a tendency to dry out after the coat has been eaten 
oft* by the acid, but it can be held for two weeks or a 
month under favorable conditions without any con- 
siderable deterioration. This method is still in the 
experimental state, and many details presumably re- 
main to be worked out in actual practice. The ini- 
ported seed is always hulled, while that grown in this 

25 



country may not be hulled, owing to the fact that it is 
often gathered by hand locally and usually in a quan- 
tity too small to make it practicable to have it run 
through a huller. When starting a permanent pasture 
it is best to seed two years in succession at first, in 
order that there may be a number of 1-year-old plants 
ready to take the place of the 2-year-old plants, which 
mature seed and die. 

Hard seed is present in nearly every sample, but 
is more abundant in southern-grown than in northern- 
grown seed. In commercial samples the proportion 
sometimes runs as high as 90 per cent, the lesser pro- 
portion in imported seed than in either the native 
northern or southern-grown seed is possibly due to 
the fact that much of the imported seed is more than 
one year old. Table 1 show^s the percentages of hard 
seed found in samples of Sweet Clover from different 
sources. 

TABLE 1. Percentages of hard seed found in Sweet 
Clover from different sources. 



SOURCE OF SEED 


No. of 
Samples 


AVERAGE PER CENT 


Germination 


Hard Seed 


Southern . . .... 


60 
43 
12 


22 
22 

28 


14 


Northern 

Imported 


87 

56 



26 



Chapter VI 
TREATMENT OF HARD SEED 

The low per cent of germinating seed in Sweet 
Qover has been a serious problem to overcome, but 
this has been largely taken care of by the invention 
of a machine which successfuly treats the seed and 
by the use of it the germination is increased as much 
as 50 per cent and in some cases the germination has 
been reported increased from 10 per cent to 90 per 
cent. 

The low percentage of germination in Sweet 
Clover seed is caused by the large percentage of hard 
seed. Hard seed have dense or thick seed coats, which 
prevent the proper absorption of water even when 
placed under perfect condition for germination, and 
hence, when planted in the field, they are unable to 
grow immediately. It is generally agreed that hard 
seed are worthless so far as their value for producing 
a stand under general field conditions is concerned. 
In various tests, hard seeds have been planted under 
ideal conditions for germination for months and even 
years without growing. Numerous tests conducted by 
botanists and agronomists of the United States show 
that the seed coats of a considerable portion of the 
hard seed will gradually soften and that they will 
germinate after several weeks, months or years, but 
not in time to be of any practical value to the farmer. 

The greatest care should be exercised in buying 
Sweet Clover seed as the germination is often uncer- 

27 



tain and the seed high in price. Buyers are apt to 
judge the quality, probable germination, by color and 
appearance of seed. Often very fancy-appearing seed 
is low in germination due to the hard seeds, and it is 
due to this fact that you should insist on knowing 
whether the seed has been treated by a scarifying 
machine. Sweet Clover, which promises to become 
one of the most important legumes, is noted for the 
large number of seeds which are hard. Very few 
samples of Sweet Clover will germinate more than 
50 per cent before being treated. Many farmers are 
now buying and using sweet clover as a farm crop, 
and are annually expending thousands of dollars in 
purchasing seed, sowing from 20 to 25 pounds to the 
acre, when half this quantity of high-testing scarified 
seed would answer and give better results. 

The Experimental Station Reports 

A large number of duplicate seedings were made 
on the experimental station field during the past sea- 
son comparing treated and untreated Sweet Clover 
seed. These were sown on adjoining plats so as to 
provide as near as possible identical growing condi- 
tions. Stands which were, if anything, too thick were 
secured after the seed had been treated, while the 
same seed, when not treated, failed entirely in produc- 
ing a stand. An Illinois farmer, for whom the Farm 
Crops Section treated approximately 3,000 pounds of 
seed, states in a letter that seed which germinated 
only 50 per cent when sent to Ames, germinated 98 
per cent when returned. An Iowa farmer, who used 
some of this seed, secured a perfect stand by using 
only five pounds of the treated seed per acre instead 
of the usual 20 to 30 pounds of untreated seed per 
acre. 

When you consider the increase in germination 
and the fact that scarified seed is much surer of mak- 
ing a stand, it is not wise to use any seed but the best- 

28 



treated stock. The A. A. Berry Seed Co. have in- 
stalled one of the latest and most efficient scarifying 
machines on the market and are in position to furnish 
their customers with scarified seed at all times. They 
have given much study to the Sweet Clover seed propo- 
sition and are well versed on the methods of growing 
and nature of the plant, and for this reason are well 
prepared to take extra good care of their customers. 
The writer wishes to emphasize the importance of 
using scarified seed and would advise sowing no seed 
that had not first been treated. 

SOME TESTS BY AMES COLLEGE ON SCARIFYING SEED. 



Showing Its Effectiveness as Measured 
and Untreated Sweet 


by the Germination of Treated 
Clover Seed. 


Date of Test 


Kind of Seed 


Germination 

Before 

Treating 


Germination 

After 

Treating 

Once 


Dec. 13, 1913 

Dec. 20, 1913 

Dec. 20, 1913 

Dec. 20, 1913 

Dec. 24, 1913 

Dec. 24, 1913 

Jan. 15, 1914 

Jan. 15, 1914 

Nov. 7, 1914 

Nov. 7, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914. o 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Dec. 25, 1914 

Tan. 22, 1915 

Jan. 22, 1915 


Hulled 

Hulled 

Unhulled 

Unhulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Unhulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Hulled 

Unhulled 

Hulled 


36 
37 
9 
9 
37 
37 
35 
10 
37 
37 
37 
37 
37 
37 
37 
37 
37 
37 
36 
50 


92 
95 

95 

90 
95 
93 
89 
89 
94 
95 
96 
94 
93 
93 
96 
96 
96 
89 
97 



29 



Chapter VII 

INOCULATION AND FERTILIZA- 
TION 

All leguminous plants require inoculation to insure 
the best growth. However, this does not mean that 
it is always necessary to inoculate the soil before seed- 
ing, but quite the contrary, for in most cases the soil 
already is sufficiently inoculated so as to produce satis- 
factory results. Where you already find Sweet Clover 
growing along the roadside in all probability the fields 
nearby are inoculated, so that the plant will grow 
successfuly. In sections where Clover and Alfalfa 
grow successfully you can assume that Sweet Clover 
would grow without any further inoculation. Alfalfa 
and Sweet Clover require the same bacteria, so that 
Alfalfa land is properly inoculated for Sweet Clover 
and vice versa. Sweet Clover is now often used 
for the inoculation of fields, preparatory to sowing 
Alfalfa. And where Alfalfa will not grow success- 
fully Sweet Clover is a splendid crop to grow to in- 
oculate for Alfalfa, as it not only inoculates the soil, 
but has a large tap root, which makes a vigorous 
growth, and has a tendency to break up the compact 
sub-soil which in many cases is the cause of Alfalfa 
not doing well, and thus making it dwindle and die 
out after the first or second year. 

There are two ways of inoculation, one known 
as the soil-transfer method, and the other the pure- 

30 



culture method. The inoculation by soil-transfer 
method is the most commonly practiced, and also is 
the most satisfactory. This method is very simple and 
is not difficult to follow, although it is a little more 
laborious and there is one objection which should not 
be forgotten, and that is to get soil which is free from 
noxious weeds, insect or plant enemies, for you might 
introduce some pest on your land which would be 
hard to exterminate. 

In order to inoculate by the soil-transfer method 
it is necessary to secure soil from a good, healthy 
Sweet Clover field or from the roadside where it may 
be found growing, or from an Alfalfa field. It re- 
quires about 200 to 400 pounds of soil to the acre, 
which should be scattered over the field just before 
seeding, and after the soil is scattered it should be irn- 
mediately covered by harrowing, for the sun's rays will 
kill the bacteria germ if left exposed for any length 
of time. The soil, if fine, can be sowed broadcast by 
hand, or with an end-gate seeder, or it may be put on 
the ground with a manure spreader. Another way 
which might be very practical is to fasten a long 
narrow box on the front of the harrow, with a slat 
bottom, leaving openings sufficiently large so that the 
soil may scatter out, thus distributing the soil and 
harrowing it in at the same operation. The soil could 
also be put in the field with a drill that has a fer- 
tilizer attachment. It is also suggested that it would 
be a good plan to take a small portion of the soil and 
mix with the seed at the time of sowing, but this is 
not necessary if the soil has been well distributed 
before seeding. 

If it is difficult to obtain soil and it cannot be 
procured to advantage, except in small quantities, this 
plan may be followed : Take equal parts of seed and 
soil and dampen the seed and scatter it out on a srnooth 
surface and scatter the soil over the seed by sifting 
and the dampened seed v/ill catch the soil and as soon 

31 



as the seed has dried sufficiently to sow it should be 
seeded. 

The pure-culture method is more easily done than 
the soil-transfer method and it has the advantage of 
preventing the introduction of harmful weeds or pest 
on the farm and is now recognized as the most prac- 
tical way of inoculating. The culture is manufactured 
at different places and can be secured from nearly all 
seedsmen, and full directions are given with each bot- 
tle or package. The nodule germ manufactured and 
sold by the A. A. Berry Seed Company is one of 
the best cultures on the market and is very reasonable 
in price, and is to be recommended. The culture 
comes in a liquid form generally, and when using it 
dilute the culture with a sufficient quantity of water 
and then mix thoroughly with good, clean soil, 
which may be taken from the field you intend to 
sowsow and the treated soil is handled in the 
same manner as when inoculation is made by the 
soil transfer method. Culture is also used in inoculat- 
ing the seed where no soil is used. The culture is 
prepared according to directions given with it, and 
the seed is moistened with the culture, so that each 
seed is affected, but care should be used not to soak 
the seed. As soon as the seed is sufficiently dry for 
handling it should be planted. You should not wait 
any great length of time, for the nodule bacteria will 
soon die. Seed which has been treated should never 
be exposed to the rays of the sun when drying. 

The matter of fertihzing the soil before sowing 
■Sweet Clover is a point of little importance, for it 
has already been found that it will grow on the poor- 
est soil; also on the limetsone hills and quarries, in 
the sand and clay, but like Alfalfa in this respect it 
will make its best growth on good, rich soil and when 
it has access to plenty of moisture. The fact that 
Sweet Clover is such an excellent fertilizer in itself 
there is little need of applying any commercial fer- 

32 



tilizer. It would be far better to grow Sweet Clover 
on the thin, worn-out land and build it up with the 
plant and then apply the fertilizer on the soil in con- 
nection with the crop which is to be grown following 
the Sweet Clover. Just what fertilizer would be best 
to use in connection with Sweet Clover is hard to say, 
for there have been but very few tests along this line. 
It, "however, is necessary to have some lime in the soil 
to grow it successfully, although it is growing on soil 
which is very deficient in lime and does not contain 
sufficient to grow other crops to advantage. If you 
wish to grow Sweet Clover on soil which has been 
depleted of lime, or in fact worn out, not cropped out, 
for in this case it is a matter of restoring nitrogen, 
which the plant itself will do, but if depleted of lime 
it would be well to use lime as a fertilizer, the quan- 
tity depending upon the soil. 

The matter of fertilizing is little known to the 
western farmers, for the rich soil in the Mississippi 
and Missouri valleys has produced such excellent crops 
and has withstood constant farming, so that they do 
not feel the need of fertilizer. However, with the 
Eastern and Southern farmers it is different, for they 
contemplate the use of fertilizer with nearly all crops. 
Sweet Clover will be a great boon to them in this re- 
spect, for they will be able to build up their land 
cheaply and at the same time harvest large, paying 
crops, which will add wealth to the country. 



Chapter VIII 
VALUE AS A HAY CROP 

Sweet Clover may be utilized as a hay crop, for 
it makes a valuable feed for all kinds of stock, and 
as it is a heavy producer it v^ill prove a splendid for- 
age crop for this purpose. In the North, where 
Sweet Clover is seeded in the spring, you can make 
one cutting of hay about the first of October. The 
first year it will make a growth from twenty to thirty 
inches, and as it does not seed the first year it will 
make a very heavy growth of from twenty to thirty 
leaves, and it also makes an unusual root development, 
sending the tap root down as much as four feet. In 
this root it stores a large amount of reserve food ma- 
terial and makes a very vigorous growth the following 
season. 

In the South, where the seasons are longer, two 
cuttings can be made the first year, but in most parts 
of the country only one cutting is expected. In the 
Northern States the first crop is cut at about the 
time we begin to have frost, and a slight frost will do 
no damage to the quality of the hay. When mowing 
in the fall it can be cut close to the ground, with no 
bad effects, for it will not winter kill and will come 
forth early in the spring and start with a rapid 
growth. 

The hay should be cut when there is no dew on 
the plant, for the plant is of a succulent nature and 

34 



is rather difficult to cure. It is considered a little 
harder to cure than either Clover or Alfalfa, and 
care must be used in properly curing the plant if the 
most is to be gotten out of it for feeding. The best 
way to cure after cutting and allowing it to wilt is 
to rake it into large windrows and allow it to cure 
in the windrow, but if in doubt about the advisability 
of leaving in the windrow more than a day it may 
be put into shocks and allowed to stand until properly 
cured for stacking or putting in the barn. It would 
be well to put it into small shocks, so that when load- 
ing them on a wagon they could be lifted intact by 
the pitchers. 

It is not difficult to cure Sweet Clover in the 
shock, and if the weather is unsettled it may be cut 
in the morning, after the dew is gone, and put in 
the shock the same day. If the shocks are well built 
it will turn water nicely, and little damage will be 
done. Sweet Clover may be cut and allowed to re- 
main in the swath until the second day, but care rnust 
be used in handHng it, that it does not get too dry and 
lose the leaves, for they are the most valuable part for 
feed. It is always best to properly cure hay before 
stacking or putting in the barn, for if put in too green 
there is danger of moulding or spontaneous combus- 
tion. Fires of this nature are quite common with 
Clover and Alfalfa, and while the writer does not re- 
call any instances of this complaint in regard to Sweet 
Clover it no doubt would happen if many barns were 
filled with it in the green stage. 

The second year the hay crop is handled in about 
the same way, with the exception of cutting. Sweet 
Clover has been condemned on account of not know- 
ing how to properly handle it. The hay crop could 
easily be ruined by allowing it to grow too long, for 
soon after it blooms the stem becomes very hard and 
woody and is of little value for feed. It is just as 
necessary to understand Sweet Clover and know its 

35 



habits, if a success is to be made in growing it, as it 
is necessary to know how to handle any other crop. 
Any one will admit that the wheat crop in many states 
could be lost if allowed to stand until it has shattered 
before cutting. The same thing is true with Sweet 
Clover. AMien grown by the inexperienced it has been 
allowed to stand until it bloomed and become a hard. 
bushy plant of little feed value. 

The plant should be cut the second year, at the 
time it begins to form bloom buds, probably about 
the middle of June in this latitude. A very important 
point about cutting Sweet Clover at this time is not 
to cut it close, or it will die out, and that will be the 
end of the crop. The fact that it is a biennial should 
always be kept in mind. It is necessary to cut it quite 
high, so as to leave some of the branches and leaves, 
for then it will start up and make a second crop, which 
can be again cut for hay or allowed to stand and make 
seed. However, in either case, this ends the plant, and 
it is necessary to reseed the ground if you wish to 
continue growing Sweet Clover on the same land. The 
binder is often used in cutting Sweet Clover, so as 
not to cut it too low, and when binding it should be 
bound in small bundles, which may be put into small 
shocks of three or four bundles each, and there re- 
main until properly cured. It will not take long for 
the bundles to cure, and it then may be stacked the 
same as oats or any other grain. Care should be used 
in handling, so as to retain all the leaf possible, for 
it is the most valuable part of the hay. The second 
crop is sometimes pastured lightly, so as to allow part 
of it to go to seed, and in this way the crop will come 
on the following year from the seed which has been 
left on the ground. 

There is a wide range when it comes to the quan- 
tity of hay that may be produced from an acre, for 
this varies in dilTerent sections and depends quite 
largely upon weather conditions and fertility of the 

36 



soil the same as any other crop. The first year the 
yield runs from one to two tons per acre of cured 
hay and the second year the yield will be more, aver- 
aging from two to three tons per acre. There are 
some instances where it has made much larger yields, 
and if the soil is fertile and there is sufficient moisture 
a heavier yield may be expected. When tested at the 
Utah Experiment Station it made more than double 
the yield of any of the clover or grasses with which it 
was compared. 

The value of Sweet Clover hay is appreciated 
when it is found by analysis that it contains more 
digestible protein than Alfalfa hay and it is claimed 
that a ton of Alfalfa hay is equal to a ton of bran in 
feeding value ; so this puts Sweet Clover at the head 
of the Hst when it comes to the real value of its hay. 

The chief complaint that is heard in connection 
with feeding Sweet Clover is that stock refuse to eat 
it. This is true to a certain extent, but is very easily 
overcome, and no one need be afraid that their stock 
is any exception and they will not eat it, for it is only 
a matter of getting accustomed to it, and after they 
once form a taste for the hay it will be difficult to keep 
them from it. Sweet Clover has a bitter taste, due to 
cumarin, which at first causes animals to refuse to eat 
it, but it should be remembered that range horses that 
have never seen corn refuse to eat it, but are just as 
fond of it as the native horses after once accustomed 
to it. Stock are not much different from people in 
this respect, for the writer has the first person to see 
that likes olives when first tasted, but as a rule most 
people develop a taste for them. Now, do not gather 
from this comparison that Sweet Clover is as ob- 
jectionable in taste to stock as olives are to the aver- 
age person, for such is not the case, for all kinds of 
stock, without exception, learn to eat Sweet Clover 
and prefer it to other feed. (A farmer here in Nevada 
told me that stock would leave the Alfalfa and brouse 

37 



on the dry Sweet Clover that grows here uncultivated 
and very luxuriantly. E. M. S.) Here is an extract 
taken from the Farmers' Bulletin on this question: 
"Shippers of cattle from the arid sections of the west, 
where com is unknown, often have difficulty in get- 
ting the stock to eat fodder or even corn. The specific 
instance has come under observation where the cattle 
were fed corn with the dried husks attached where- 
upon they ate off the husks and left the com uneaten. 
When these same cattle were turned on the green 
grass the following season instead of eating the new 
growth they contented themselves with browsing off 
the dead stalks of the preceding season's growth, 
which presumably more closely resembled the desert 
grasses to which they were accustomed." 

When cow peas were first tested out the same 
question of stock eating it came up. It was the belief 
that stock would not eat it, but it was soon found that 
such was a mistake. It has also been proven that 
stock will eat Sweet Colver, and that it is one of the 
most valuable of the forage crops to the stock grower. 

Sweet Clover hay is valued very highly by the 
dairymen, and they find it makes splendid feed for 
dairying purposes. The results where it has been 
tested out are very flattering, and it has been found 
that the cattle would leave Red Clover hay to eat 
Sweet Clover. When fed to milch cows it had a ten- 
dency to increase the flow of milk, and the cows kept 
in the best of condition. It gives the milk no un- 
pleasant taste and it is considered an ideal feed for 
the dairyman, for it contains a large amount of pro- 
tein and can be produced more cheaply than it can be 
secured in any other way. 

It also makes splendid hay for horses and is much 
more desirable than Clover hay and is fully equal to 
Alfalfa hay, and they will eat it just as readily after 
having been accustomed to it. Sweet Clover hay is 

38 



recommended very highly for sheep and young stock 
of all kinds, and there is no bad effect due to feeding, 
but on the other hand it keeps stock in good condition 
and should be considered the greatest feed obtainable. 

There is little difficulty experienced in getting 
stock to eat Sweet Clover hay when properly cured, 
but should they refuse to eat it when hungry you can 
overcome this very easily by sprinkling some brine on 
the hay at about the time they are due to be salted, 
and this will start them eating it and you will not be 
required to repeat this operation very often. 



39 



Chapter IX 
VALUE AS A PASTURE 

When Sweet Clover is desired for pasture pur- 
poses it is seeded in practically the same manner as 
for hay, with the exception that more seed is required, 
in order to obtain a heavy stand. On account of the 
plant being a biennial it is also necessary to seed the 
ground the following spring with about half as much 
seed as was used in the first seeding. A disk drill 
can be used to advantage seeding this time, or the 
land may be disked and after the seed is sowed slightly 
harrowed or dragged. The disking and dragging will 
not injure the crop already on the ground, and by 
handling in this manner you should have a permanent 
pasture, if not pastured too close, for there will be 
enough go to seed each year to reseed itself and have 
a continuous stand. 

When seeded for pasture Sweet Clover is gener- 
ally seeded without a nurse crop, for then you can 
turn the stock on it just as soon as it gets up four or 
five inches high. It is best to turn the stock upon it 
while young, for it contains less cumarin and they 
will learn to eat it without difficulty. It is also well 
to pasture it, for it causes more shoots to start up, 
making much better pasture than to allow it to grow 
up coarse and become woody. The first season it is 
not necessary to allow it to grow up, for it may be 
pastured close to the ground, as it will not be damaged 
and will come on again very early in the spring. One 

40 



of the great advantages of Sweet Clover as a pasture 
is the fact of its coming on earher in the spring than 
any other grass, with the possible exception of Alfalfa, 
and in two weeks' time; on account of its more rapid 
growth it is even ahead of Alfalfa. The easiest way 
to have stock become accustomed to eating Sweet 
Clover is by turning them on to the pasture early in 
the spring before other green grass has started. By 
doing this they form an appetite for the plant, eating 
it with great relish, and you will have no further 
trouble along this line. 

Sweet Clover pasture is adapted to all kinds of 
stock; horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and chickens do 
equally well on it. It is better to keep enough stock 
on the pasture to eat it off closely enough so as to 
cause it to form an abundance of new shoots, as you 
will get more feed off the pasture and stock will 
relish the tender plants much more. But you must 
remember the second year it is necessary to let it 
grow up enough in the fall, so as to form seed and 
re-seed itself. It can be pastured lightly through 
August and September, but if no seed is allowed to 
form it will not continue long as a pasture. 

There are two great advantages of Sweet Clover 
as a pasture, and that is it comes on earlier than other 
green feed and it does not cause bloating of stock as 
do Clover and Alfalfa. This is due to the cumarin, 
the bitter principle which the plant possesses, which 
is of great importance to the stock raiser. Cumarin 
has been used by druggists and physicians for thou- 
sands of years as a corrective, tonic and curative for 
intestinal disorders, and on this account it is con- 
sidered extra fine for pasture, as stock keep in the best 
of health and condition when pasturing on it. Stock 
make great gains on Sweet Clover pasture. It is fully 
equal to either Clover or Afalfa. Another advantage 
of Sweet Clover is that it will grow on soil that would 
not grow other grasses sufficiently to secure much 

41 



feed. But Sweet Clover will make a good growth on 
poor soil, affording the best pasture for all kinds 
of stock and at the same time add humus to the soil, 
building it up and fertilizing it to such an extent that 
other crops may be grown successfully when ready to 
rotate crops. Sweet Clover is to be recommended to 
the sheep grower, especially of the West, for this plant 
will grow on thin, barren waste land, enduring the hot, 
dry summers, and will make a great amount of the 
best green feed. By careful experiments it has been 
found that sheep make great gains when allowed to 
graze upon it, there being no feed better adapted to 
them. 

Sweet Clover is also excellent for hog pasture, 
as it is more hardy than Alfalfa, easier to secure a 
stand and will stand more abuse. Close pasturing 
the first season will do it no harm, and it will come 
on so very early the second season, making such ex- 
cellent feed that it is a very paying crop, even if you 
do not care to continue the pasture as a permanent 
meadow. You can either re-seed the pasture or allow 
it to make sufficient growth so as to re-seed itself. 
No land will bring larger returns to the hog raiser 
than Sweet Clover, for it is a protein producer — just 
what the stock grower is looking for. 

Another way it can be used to good advantage 
as a pasture crop, especialy for hogs, is by having 
the field divided and seeding both fields the first year 
and the second year re-seed one of the fields, so that 
they will alternate. By turning off one field early, so 
as to allow it to make growth sufficiently to re-seed 
itself, the other field can be pastured until late. The 
next fall reverse the order and allow it to re-seed 
itself and the former field may be pastured late, and 
thus alternate the field and have late pasture, as well 
as early. If desired one field may be turned off early 
enough to allow it to make a seed crop and generally 
in harvesting a seed crop there is enough seed that 

42 



will shatter out so as to re-seed itself. Then stock 
may be turned in on the field in the fall, as the tramp- 
ing will put the seed in the ground, so that it will 
make a good crop the following year. There is a 
decided place for Sweet Clover as a pasture and the 
worth of it in this respect will be appreciated more 
when the plant is better understood and the method 
of handling it worked out so as to overcome any objec- 
tions which might be offered at the present time. 



43 



Chapter X 
SCIENTIFIC FEED VALUE 



There is considerable discussion as to the value of 
Sweet Clover as a feed, and this point can only be 
settled to the individual by giving it careful tests and 
feeding it in comparison with other feeds and watch 
results. The present growers of Sweet Clover are 
very enthusiastic and the agricultural writers cannot 
praise the plant too highly. In this connection it is 
our desire to give what the government has to say, 
and a report is here given as contained in Farmers' 
Bulletin 485 : "In common with other legumes Sweet 
Clover contains a relatively high percentage of protein, 
thus making it a source of this valuable constituent 
of farm feeds." Tables 2 and 3 show the relative 
composition of several different kinds of feed. 

TABLE 2. Average percentage composition of Sweet 
Clover and other forage feeds and value of same per ton. 



KIND OF FORAGE 



I a 



wt5 



Fresh Sweet Clov* 
Fresh Alfalfa .... 
Fresh Red Clover 
Sweet Clover hay. 

Alfalfa hay 

Red Clover hay. . . 

Timothy hay 

Cow Pea hay. . . . . 



77.0 
71.8 
70.8 
7.7 
8.4 
15.3 
13.2 
10.7 



1.8 
2.7 
2.1 

7.5 
7.4 
6.2 
4.4 
7.5 



4.8 
4.4 
13.3 
14.3 
12.3 
6.9 
16.6 



7.4 
8.1 
26.9 
25.0 
24.3 
29.0 
20.1 



9.4 
12.8 
13.5 
42.6 
42.7 
38.1 
45.0 
42.2 



0.6 
1.0 
1.1 
2.1 
2.2 
8.8 
2.5 
2.2 



44 



TABLE 3. Digestible nutrients in Sweet Clover and other 
forage crops and feeds and value of same per ton. 



KINDS OF FORAGE 


Dry 
Matter 
in 100 
Pounds 


Digestible Nutrients in 
100 Pounds 


OR FEED 


Protein 


Carbo- 
hydrates 


Ether 
Extract 


Value 

per Ton 

Feed 


Sweet Clover Hay 

Alfalfa Hay . 


92.4 
91.6 

84.7 
86.8 
89.3 
88.1 
89.1 


9.0 
11.0 

6.8 

2.6 

10.8 

13.2 

7.9 


38.1 
39.6 
35.8 
48.4 
38.6 
39.3 
66.7 


1.2 
1.2 
1.7 
1.4 
1.1 
2.7 
4.3 


$18.49 
20.16 


Red Clover Hay 

Timothy Hay 


14.12 

9.80 

19.76 


Wheat Bran 

Shelled Corn 


23.80 
20.16 



The values per pound assigned as the basis of 
calculation of the value of the degistible nutrients in 
a ton of the feed as given in table 3 are protein, 
$0.0674; carbohydrates (starch, etc.), $0.0064; ether 
extract (fats), $0.0112. These figures are merely rela- 
tive, as the prices of the food elements vary in different 
sections of the country and from year to year. It will 
be noted that the value of Sweet Clover hay on the 
above basis would be almost double that of timothy 
and intermediate between red clover and alfalfa, and 
taht the actual market prices of the different feeds 
bear litle relation to their theoretical value. 



Feeding Experiments with Sweet 
Clover 

A great many farmers have reported successful 
experiments in feeding Sweet Clover to live stock, 
but relatively few of the experimental stations have 
performed definite feeding experiments to determine 
the exact value of Sweet Clover hay as compared with 
other crops. The Wyoming Experiment Station, how- 
ever, performed an interesting experiment with lambs. 
A number of pens of from ten to forty lambs each 
were fed different mixtures of feeds for fourteen 
weeks. Those receiving Sweet Clover hay, corn and 
a small amount of oil meal made an average gain of 

45 



30.7 pounds per head as compared with 20.3 pounds of 
those reeciying native grass hay, oats and oil meal. 
Those receiving alfalfa and corn made a gain of 34.4 
pounds per head. The details of the experiment with 
four of the pens of lambs are given in table 4. 

TABLE 4. Showing results of feeding tests with lambs. 





II 


Average 
Gain per 

Head in lbs. 

for 14 Weeks 


Pounds of Feed Required for 
Pounds of Gain 


-i 


RATION 


Sweet 

Clover 

Hay 


Native 
Hay 


Alfalfa 
Hay 


Corn 


Oats 


S3 

3 


Sweet C 1 0- 
ver, h ;i y, 
corn, 1 ] 
meal 


10 


fiO 7 


687.5 






293.2 


460.6 


20.5 


Native 
grass, hay, 
oats, 1 1 
meal 

Alfalfa 
hay, corn . 

Alfalfa 
hay, corn . 


40 1 20.3 
10 S4 4 


606.7 


657.7 
557.3 


25.0 


40 


S4.8 










The Sweet Clover hay used in this experiment 
was stated to be stemmy in its nature and more than 
a year old. It is of interest to know that in spite of its 
steminess the hay was eaten up close by the lambs. 

At the Iowa Agricultural College a grazing ex- 
periment with young shoats was made comparing 
Sweet Clover and Red Clover. The details of this 
experiment are shown in table 5. 

TABLE 5. Comparative results of pasturing pigs on 
Sweet Clover and Red Clover. 



i 

1 


ill 




n for 
re Lot 
Acre 
ounds 


equired for 

ounds of 
n addition 
sturage) 
ounds 


O 
Q 




^(^^ 


i3|r 


ainR 
100 P 
ain (] 
to pa 
P 


M 


Ph 






5 '^ 


Sweet Clover 


1? 


1.02 


2,594 


838 


Red Qover.. 


15 1 


1.14 


2,894 


838 



46 



The results of these technical experiments are 
thoroughly substantiated by numerous private feeding 
tests in various sections of the country. Hundreds 
of fat cattle which have been fed almost exclusively 
on Sweet Clover hay as a roughage in central Utah 
are marketed annually. From certain sections of 
western Iowa steers have been turned off fat from 
Sweet Clover pasture and have brought $1.00 per 
hundred weight premium over the ordinary grass pas- 
tured stock marketed from the same locality. 

In a feeding experiment with sheep, conducted 
by two students at the Iowa Agricultural College, it 
was found that the protein digested in Sweet Clover 
fed alone was 69 per cent, and that the addition of 
corn to the hay ration increased the digestibility of 
Sweet Clover to 82 per cent. (See table 6.) Alfalfa 
and Red Clover showed similar increases in the digesti- 
bility of their protein content when corn was added 
to the ration. The percentage of digestibility figured 
for the protein in the corn was the average of a num- 
ber of digestion experiments. The probability is that 
the digestibility of the corn was also increased by the 
presence of the hay in the ration, so that not all the 
increase in the digestibility should be credited to the 
hay constituents of the different rations. 

TABLE 6. Comparative percentage digestible of protein 

and of dry matter in Sweet Clover, in Alfalfa 

and in Red Clover. 





Percentage 


Digestible 


RATION 


Protein 


Dry Matter 


Sweet Clover — 


69 
82 

70 

88 

46 
61 


53 




74 


Alfalfa— 

When fed alcne 


61 


When fed with corn 


76 


Red Clover— 

When fed alone 


49 


When f^d with corn 


61 



47 



Chapter XI 
VALUE AS A FERTILIZER 

Sweet Clover undoubtedly has more commercial 
value as a soil restorative than in any other way. This 
is the great advantage of the plant, as it can be used 
in every state in the Union for this purpose, and thus 
replaces a great amount of wealth which has already 
been taken from the soil. 

One great feature of Sweet Clover is that it 
grows on all kinds of soil and in all latitudes. While 
it is good for the Southern farmer it is equally as 
good for the Northern farmer, and while it adds great 
wealth to the Eastern farmer with his limestone hills 
and soil of an acid nature it is fully as good for the 
Western farmer, with his dry, barren wastes of sand 
and alkali. Taking the plant as a whole it has no com- 
parison, as it is adapted to a wide range of conditions 
and will do well for everyone if he will only give it the 
opportunity. Cow Peas are good for the Southern 
farmer, but they cannot be grown successfully in the 
North, as they are a Southern plant. Clover grows 
well in the eastern half of the United States, but this 
is not true in the West. Alfalfa grows luxuriantly in 
the West, but not so well in the East. The Canada 
Field Pea is adapted to the North, but not to the 
South; but in Sweet Qover we have a forage crop 
that grows not only successful all over the United 
States, North to South, East and West, but is being 
grown to a greater or less extent all over the world. 

48 



Undoubtedly it will soon fill the place which was 
planned for it when creaetd by the Almighty, and it 
certainly was not intended to be classed as a weed 
when it is invaluable both as a feed and a fertilizer. 

In the East there are farms which have been 
abandoned on account of not being able to produce 
any crops sufficiently large to justify farming. This 
land lies idle, waiting for nature to replace the ele- 
ments which have been exhausted. In such cases 
where land has been completely worn out (not cropped 
out), and all the nitrogen and humus in the soil ex- 
hausted, as well as the lime or calcium, it is rather 
doubtful whether Sweet Clover alone can ever make 
good fertile soil ; but on the limestone hills or on soil 
which contains plenty of lime and is not exhausted of 
its mineral wealth Sweet Clover will replace the nitro- 
gen and humus and unquestionably will build up the 
land and reclaim the depleted fields which are of ap- 
parently little value in their present condition. This 
is where Sweet Clover will do its greatest good and 
will meet with a most hearty welcome by all farmers. 
Not only in the East and South, but throughout the 
corn belt of the Western States as well, the farmers 
are beginning to realize that there is need of fertilizing 
their soil if the most is to be gained from tilling their 
fields. Clover has been the salvation of the farmer, but 
this crop is not doing all that could be desired. Often- 
times there has been much difficulty in obtaining a 
seeding, and thus on this account rotation of crops has 
been prevented. 

Sweet Clover works in splendidly as a rotation 
crop, being a biennial the same as Clover, but it is 
much easier to obtain a stand of it, for it will endure 
more drouth. The summer of 1911 was very dry, 
and in most cases Clover was killed by the continuous 
dry weather after harvest, while sweet Clover with- 
stood the drouth and made a very good growth, afford- 
ing much fall pasture, and in some instances a hay 

49 



crop was secured. Sweet Clover can be sowed in the 

spring with a nurse crop, and that season you will 
grow a crop of grain and one crop of Sweet Clover 
hay. The second year you can cut two crops for hay 
and plow under the stubble and stems, which add 
much humus to the soil, as well as replace the nitrogen. 

Where the land is very much run down the second 
crop can be plowed under as a green manure crop. 
This puts the soil in excellent shape for corn the fol- 
lowing season. You can better appreciate Sweet 
Clover as a green manure crop when you compare it 
v^ith Mammoth Clover. The Ontario Experimental 
Station reports having cut thirty tons of green Sweet 
Clover per acre, as compared with 13^ tons of Mam- 
moth Clover which was considered next best for 
soiling. 

There have been numerous tests made showing 
the value of Sweet Clover as a fertilizer, and it is 
considered superior in many ways to all others. At 
the Ohio Experimental Station a test was made on 
land which has been sowed to Sweet Clover and a 
similar field which was not, and the land which had 
been growing Sweet Clover produced 45 per cent more 
corn per acre. Similar tests have been made in other 
places, and it has been found that the same land will 
produce about 40 per cent more corn when it has been 
in Sweet Clover than when it has not. 

Sweet Clover always accomplishes good when 
growing on land, no matter what the nature of the 
soil. When growing on the thin limestone or gravelly 
hill it is adding fertility to the soil. When it is grow- 
ing on the clay hill, which has a very compact sub- 
soil, it not only adds fertility, but has a tendency to 
break up the hard sub-soil by its great root system 
and to open up the ground and establish humus below 
the surface. Thus the ground is in a better position 
to grow all kinds of crops, and especially Alfalfa, as 
its roots will not penetrate a hard sub-soil, and for 

50 



this reason in many places it cannot be grown success- 
fully. When Sweet Clover grows on land which is 
inclined to be wet or bottom land, commonly known as 
gumbo, it also has a remedial effect. It has a tendency 
to open up the soil and let the water go down and dry 
out the land, which is very important. In the West it 
will grow on the soil which is strongly impregnated 
with Alkali, relieving it of that condition, so that after 
a crop or two of Sweet Clover has been grown on 
such soil some other field crop may be raised success- 
fully. 

We find Sweet Clover being used most extensively 
as a fertilizer in the South and Alabama, Mississippi 
and Kentucky are states growing it extensively as a 
field crop, and the demand is rapidly spreading and 
other states are taking it up. The results are so ap- 
parent and satisfactory that it requires only a knowl- 
edge of their success to cause an unusual demand. It 
is reclaiming vast areas of old, worn-out land which 
has been cropped to death by continuous farming. One 
cannot speak too highly of its success. The experience' 
of the Southern farmer in this regard is unquestionable 
proof as to the value of the plant as a fertilizer. It is 
estimated that it produces as much nitrogen and humus 
making material as is contained in twenty-five loads of 
average farm manure. 

Sweet Clover is growing in many places on lands 
which refuse to grow other leguminous plants, and 
this is the reason it is hailed with such delight. It is 
the Clover for all purposes, without any restrictions. 
To fully appreciate the worth of Sweet Clover as a 
fertilizer all that is required is to sow it on worn-out 
land and watch closely the results. Here is an extract 
from the government bulletin : "As an instance of its 
effect on land it may be mentioned that in Alabama 
on poor, run-down soil it produced 6,672 pounds of 
hay per acre the first year and 7,048 pounds the second 
year, after which the stubble was plowed under and 

61 



planted to corn. The corn produced 22.7 bushels per 
acre, as compared with 16.2 bushels per acre upon 
an adjoining plat where Sweet Clover had not been 
grown. The year following a similar experiment in 
the same section showed the corn to have yielded 28.2 
bushels on the Sweet Clover stubble land, as compared 
with 21.2 bushels where cotton instead of Sweet Clover 
preceded the corn. A total of 11,376 pounds of hay 
had been cut from the Sweet Clover plats during its 
two seasons of growth." 

Sweet Clover has one more advantage which is 
worthy of mention and should not be overlooked. It 
has proven itself a splendid fertiHzer, but it also holds 
the soil and prevents washing. Fields which have been 
washing and were fast becoming badly cut up by 
ditches and gullies have been saved by sowing with 
Sweet Clover. By leaving the fields in Sweet Clover 
pasture or hay a few years washing was stopped and 
by a natural process fields have been reclaimed which 
would have become practically ruined by unsightly 
ditches and gulies. 



52 



Chapter XII 
VALUE AS A SEED CROP 

In very few parts of the country is Sweet Clover 
grown for a seed crop, although at the present time 
it would be a very profitable crop, since there is an 
enormous demand for seed. The production of seed 
has been insufficient to supply the demand and at times 
it has been very difficult to obtain seed for sowing. 
It is not a difficult task to grow the seed, and it; will 
only be a short time until this part of the industry 
will be given more attention. 

In growing Sweet Clover it is essential to select 
the proper species. The demand is largely for the 
White Blossom Sweet Clover, although there is some 
demand for the Yellow Blossom. Both are biennial 
plants, but care should be taken in not confusing the 
Large Yellow Blossom with the small species known 
as Indian Sweet Clover, an annual, and not desirable 
except possibly for special purposes or sections. 

Sweet Clover is now grown for seed in only a 
few localities, and we find the White Blossom being 
grown in Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, Iowa, 
Kansas, Nebraska and several of the Western States, 
and to a limited extent in Utah. These states are now 
producing about all the seed that is offered on the 
market, but it need not be so, for it will grow and 
make seed in all states. The Sweet Clover found 
growing along the roadsides in Iowa is very full of 

53 



seed and would yield splendidly if harvested as a seed 
crop. At the present time the Yellow Blossom is grown 
principally in Kentucky and Colorado and the small 
Yellow Annual is grown mostly in southern Califor- 
nia and possibly in a few of the other Western States. 

When growing Sweet Clover for seed it is better 
not to sow too thickly, for large yields are obtained. 
The seed crop is produced the second year, and either 
the first or second crop may be harvested for seed. It 
is the writer's experience that in the state of Iowa a 
larger seed crop may be secured from the first crop, 
but in harvesting it for seed there is also danger of 
killing the plant, for if it is well matured and not cut 
quite high the plant will die. However, in the South 
the second crop is in most cases utilized for seed. 

Sweet Clover does not all ripen at the same time, 
for there will be matured seed on the plant while it is 
still blooming, and for this reason it is a little hard to 
always know just the proper time for cutting. It 
should not be allowed to get too ripe, for the seed is 
inclined to shatter, and it is best to cut while the dew 
is on or after a shower. In the South it is the common 
practice to place the Clover in piles and later flail out 
the seed with sticks on a canvas, but this mode of 
treatment leaves the hull on the seed, making it less 
desirable than the hulled seed. However, the hull can 
be removed by running through a clover huller, or 
threshing machine with special concaves ; and where a 
clover huller is available it is best to use it in hulling 
the Sweet Clover, although the hay is a little coarse 
and difficult to run through a huller, but if there is 
not too much stem it can be hulled with a machine. 
The straw after it has been threshed may be returned 
to the field for fertilization or it may be used as feed 
for stock. 

The yield of seed varies from five to fifteen bush- 
els per acre, depending whether hulled or unhulled. 
The seed should be well cleaned before being put on 

54 



the market, for there is always much inert matter and 
shrunken seeds which should be removed, for they are 
practically useless for seeding. The hulled seed is 
preferable and is generally demanded by most seeds- 
men. Thus in growing Sweet Clover for market it 
would be well to provide a huller, so that the most may 
be gotten out of the crop. The hulled seed gives better 
results when sowed, for it germinates more readily and 
often the unhuUed seed will not germinate the first sea- 
son, but remain in the ground until the second year. 

Since the plant is a prolific seed producer it is easy 
to see that there is good money in growing it for seed 
purposes. The market price varies, but of late years 
the White Blossom hulled, has been selling from $15.00 
to $20.00 per hundredweight, being higher in price 
than Alfalfa. The price of the seed should be about 
the same as Alfalfa seed, but the market will fluctuate 
from time to time, depending upon the quantity pro- 
duced and the demand. 

From the testing of samples it has been found 
that the northern seed is preferable to the southern 
grown, since it is of stronger vitality and germinates 
more readily. In the southern grown there is a large 
percent of hard seed which fail to germinate the first 
season. Considerable Sweet Clover seed has been 
imported and the foreign seed gives very good results, 
showing a good per cent of germination and is adapted 
to our climate. One thing necessary to watch when 
buying foreign seed of any kind is not to get some 
noxious weed and introduce some pest which might be 
very hard to eradicate. 

The Yellow Annual Sweet Clover is offered more 
freely on the market, as it is sort of a by-product of 
the Western farmer. It is screened out of their grain 
and thus being produced very cheaply it is offered at 
much lower prices than either one of the White or 
Yellow biennials. Whenever the Yellow Blossom is 
offered at a low price it would be well to investigate 

55 



before buying and ^^«S fof 'VL'^^nce^'^^^^ 
nial which IS being offered yo"- , ^.^d is rough, 

SttSfaTL^iShlVnitishuiied. 



56 



Chapter XIII 
WHERE TO OBTAIN SEED 

Sweet Clover seed may be obtained from most 
any reputable seed company, although it is only of late 
years that seedsmen have begun to handle it in quanti- 
ties. It is very important for the buyer to know what 
species he wants and then see that he gets it. Some 
seedsmen have not given Sweet Clover the study it 
deserves and are not familiar with the different species 
and do not know the value of each, so are not in a posi- 
tion to give their customers proper information or 
furnish the variety best adapted to their requirements. 

If you write for prices on Yellow Blossom Sweet 
Clover see that you get a sample and a price on the 
biennial and not the annual, for as previously stated 
the annual has less commercial value. 

There is one reputable Seed House that has made 
Sweet Clover a special study and on this account are 
best prepared to serve their customers and are the 
largest handlers of seed, selling from 15 to 20 cars 
during a season. I refer to the A. A. Berry Seed 
Company, Clarinda, Iowa, and take pleasure in recom- 
mending this concern to everyone who intends to sow 
Sweet Clover. They are very progressive and are in 
close touch wath all growers of seed and try to handle 
only a high grade that should give the best of satisfac- 
tion. 

57 



Furthermore, they are prepared to scarify all of 
their seed and the writer wishes to emphasize the 
importance of treated seed. You will find that the 
germination of their scarified seed has been greatly 
increased and is by far the best seed to sow. Scarify- 
ing does not only increase the germination, but makes 
a crop much more certain, as it germinates quicker 
and grows a stronger and healthier plant. You can 
sow a half less scarified seed to the acre and be 
assured of a better stand. If you write for prices of 
Hulled Seed, make sure it is properly scarified. Don't 
be contented with anything else. 

Don't ever use Southern grown seed, as it is not 
nearly as satisfactory and the unhulled seed sold by 
the Southern seedsmen is to be condemned and the use 
of it discouraged. 

It is best to secure the hulled seed when possi- 
ble, for it germinates more readily and gives better 
satisfaction and the difficulty sometimes experienced 
in obtaining a stand will be avoided. 

The writer is familiar with a party who sowed 
thirty acres in Iowa and a good stand was obtained on 
the twenty acres, which were sowed with the hulled 
seed, but the ten acres which were sowed with un- 
hulled seed, secured from a Southern dealer, proved a 
failure. It is very essential that first-class seed be 
obtained if a good stand is to be expected. 

Since there is an unusual interest created and so 
many starting to grow Sweet Clover the seed proposi- 
tion is one of special interest. Anyone wishing seed 
should make arrangements early in the season, for, as 
a rule, seed can be bought to better advantage then 
and if purchasing is delayed until the time of sowing 
difficulty might be experienced in securing seed. Such 
has been the experience of late years, but it may be 
that this will soon be overcome by a large number 
harvesting seed. 

58 



Chapter XIV 
ERADICATION 

With the many advantages credited to Sweet 
Clover there is another point which should be cov- 
ered — the eradication or extermination of the plant. 
It is claimed by some that Sweet Clover is hard to 
eradicate and trouble along this line is anticipated. 
The fact that Sweet Clover is a biennial plant is proof 
that it should not be hard to eradicate, for if it is not 
allowed to seed it cannot exist more than two years. 

In changing land from Sweet Clover to a culti- 
vated crop it would be well to follow with a corn crop, 
for by careful cultivation and not allowing any to go 
to seed it will not show up after the second year, ex- 
cept possibly an occasional plant which has come from 
hard seed that has remained in the ground. Two 
years of cultivation will practically remove all trace of 
it, and no one need experience any serious difficulty 
along this line, as it is not considered hard to erad- 
icate. 

The sod is not hard to break, being easily accom- 
plished with any plow that is sharp, so as to cut off 
the tap root. The sod is not of a tough nature, but on 
the other hand breaks up when plowed, making it eas- 
ily put in condition for a corn crop. 

The difficulty experienced in eradicating Sweet 
Clover along the roadside has been due to the fact 
that in many cases it was not cut until seed had 

59 



ripened, and thus allowed to re-seed itself, or it was 
cut too high and the branches started up again and 
made sufficient growth to produce seed. If Sweet 
Clover is cut low with a mower before it has been 
allowed to form seed the plant will die and cause no 
further trouble. This should be remembered, for if 
you are cutting it for hay and wish it to come again 
sufficient branches should be left so that it will start. 

Sweet Clover seldom ever enters the cultivated 
fields, and when it is growing in the fence rows it does 
not bother an adjoining cultivated field. It is much 
better to have Sweet Clover growing in waste places 
than any weed, for not only is it improving the soil, 
but is also preventing noxious weeds from gaining a 
foothold. 



60 



Chapter XV 
CONCLUSION 

When writing about Sweet Clover in a general 
way there are bound to be some exceptions and dif- 
ferences of opinion. However, the writer does not 
expect everyone at present to agree as to the value of 
the plant, but time will impress upon all of us its real 
merits. As it becomes more generally grown and 
understood, regardless of the skeptic's opinion, who 
may condemn the plant, the fact remains that Sweet 
Clover is one of the great forage plants. It will not, 
however, do away with a single plant that we are now 
growing. There is already a place for Sweet Clover on 
nearly every farm, since the crops we are now produc- 
ing do not meet all the requirements. Thus we see 
the need is present and it is only a matter of Sweet 
Clover finding its place. 

Where Alfalfa can be grown to best advantage 
Sweet Clover will not appeal to the farmer in that par- 
ticular section, while on the other hand to the many 
who have been unsuccessful in growing Alfalfa, Sweet 
Clover will find a welcome. The fact that Sweet 
Clover can be grown in all sections and on nearly all 
soils makes it stand without a peer as a utility crop, 
as it can be depended on to make good where other 
crops fail. 

Sweet Clover especially recommends itself to the 
dairy farmer, being very rich in protein, affording 
splendid pasture, and making the very best of hay 

61 



that will rank alongside of Alfalfa. In many sections 
it is almost impossible to get Alfalfa hay, as every 
dairyman knows; therefore there is a great need for 
some other crop to take its place. To the eastern 
dairyman it should find a very warm welcome, for it 
will not only put him on par with the western farmer 
in producing feed, as the hills will grow the very best 
kind of crops and produce an abundance of feed, con- 
taining a high per cent of protein, just what he desires, 
and at the same time will also build up the land, so that 
it will bring him a two-fold income. 

The fact that the merits of Sweet Clover are not 
generally known makes it of no less value or impor- 
tance. Nor is it so strange that the value of Sweet 
Clover is not known to the farmer of the United 
States, with all of his knowledge and advancement in 
the agricultural pursuit, for he was practically as long 
in realizing that Alfalfa was the greatest forage crop 
that could be grown, although it had been grown for 
thousands of years in Asia and was a very popular crop 
in Europe for a great many centuries, while it did not 
gain widespread popularity in the United States until 
the twentieth century. Even in Old Mexico, where 
they have their ox carts and are very slow in adopting 
new ideas, they realized the value of Alfalfa and have 
grown it as a forage crop for over 200 years. It is to 
Mexico that we are indebted for introducing it in the 
United States, for it was first introduced into Cali- 
fornia, and from there it gradually worked east, in a 
roundabout way, until it finally penetrated to the grain 
and dairy districts of the middle west. The mere fact 
that Alfalfa was not grown by the farmers in the 
United States made it of no less value. The same is 
true of Sweet Clover. The value of Sweet Clover 
will be realized when it has been developed, the crop 
understood and it becomes more generally grown. It 
is adapted to a great variety of soil and will add much 
wealth in the way of feed and in enriching the soil, 

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which is so much in need of something that can be 
used advantageously for rotation of crop. 

In many sections Alfalfa is not grown and is 
urderstood but little more, if any, than Sweet Clover. 
It is to the thinking and progressive farmer that Sweet 
Clover will appeal. There certainly is a big demand 
for a plant that has such true worth and has so many 
points in its favor, recommending itself to the farmer 
of the East, West, North and South ; to the cattle and 
sheep raiser of the West; to the feeders and corn 
growers of the central states; to the dairyman and 
farmer of the East and to the Southern farmer, who 
is so much in need of a fertilizer. 

Heretofore the importance of forage plants has 
not been recognized and many have thought that the 
plow and the planter were the only producers of 
values, while the truth is that our forage plants are of 
more value than the cereal crops of all kinds, and the 
profit from cattle, hogs, sheep and poultry comes from 
the pasture and hay, rather than from the crib or gran- 
ary. If our forage plants failed but a single season it 
would bring complete disaster to every farmer and but 
a small per cent of stock of all kinds would survive. 
This fact is appreciated to some extent after a hard 
and long winter, when the feed supply is practically 
exhausted and every farmer is anxiously awaiting the 
green pasture on which to turn the stock. It is to the 
green feed that we must look largely for the profit that 
is to be derived out of stock of all kinds. 

It is truly wonderful to study the feed proposition 
and see how nature has so generously provided the 
green feed which is of such great importance to every 
stock grower. We find the green fields of Clover, 
Alfalfa, Timothy, Blue Grass and grasses of various 
kinds, and now we have another important crop added 
to our resources — the Sweet Clover — which bids fair 
to take its true place among the principal crops. 

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Undoubtedly as the years roll by and when farm- 
ing becomes a scientific study rather than a mere 
routine Sweet Clover will be counted in many sections 
of the country as the great money-makmg crop, and 
will be recognized by all as one of the most valuable 
of forage plants. 



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